High on a windy hill on one of the shortest days of the year, a low-angled sun sent long shadows across the heather. Here we were, up on the level top of Hartcliff Hill, at almost 1,200 feet above the sea. It's as fine a belvedere for the upper reaches of the Porter and the Don as any of the encircling hills; little wonder that a lofty stone tower was built up here in about 1851 as a viewing folly. During the 20th century the internal staircase collapsed, and the roof was blown off over 40 years ago. Recent restoration has saved it but there's no public access. Even so, in clear weather it is possible to see the towers of York Minster 40 miles to the north-east from the crest of Hartcliff. It is even said that in exceptional conditions you can see Shropshire's Hawkstone Park, 60 miles to the south-west, but I would take some convincing about this line of sight because some of Peakland's highest ground intervenes.

On this recent benign winter day we had a clear view of the windfarm upon Royd Moor, beyond the Don valley, where all the turbines were turning lazily. A cock grouse came stalking through the heather, eyed us suspiciously and slunk off out of sight. A series of field paths took us down towards the north-west so that we crossed the swirling Don beside Bullhouse Mill before the muddy trek up oozing, slanting pastures that delivered us to Hazlehead Hall, best known these days for its well-stocked farm shop and cafe. The latter's a useful pitstop for pedestrians bound to and from the south Pennine watershed further to the west. These short days, of course, dictate an early turn around, and soon we were crossing the Don just below the hall and climbing to the trackbed of the former Woodhead railway, now a useful trans-Pennine bridleway.